Figuring it Out: Learning How and Why Things Work Through Experimentation

Running experiments in class can be fun on its own, but it’s critical for students to understand why each step in the process is important. Using technology to capture data and experimental results helps students gather and synthesize all the information they need for a full write up–in this case, on “whirlygigs!” How and why do these simple paper structures work? Being able to ask questions and explore to figure things out is a critical part of the experimentation process. In science class, writing a lab report is a great way for students to work through each step in the process and share what they learned through trial and error.